Dr. Marc Siegel Examines Patients Suffering From Mystery Illness in LeRoy, New York

As a part of Fox News Medical A-Team, Dr. Marc Siegel is trying to examine the mystery illness breaking out in LeRoy, New York. Mostly reported by teenage girls at one high school, they suffer from involuntary spasms and outbursts. Doctors can’t seem to agree on what’s causing the Tourette’s-like symptoms.

Dr. Marc Siegel spoke with two girls and their families and two doctors treating the girls. He says, “Whatever it is, it’s real. One of the girls named Lauren, she was totally healthy until all of a sudden she gets hit with these tics. Now she can’t go to school, now she’s suffering from panic attacks. ”

What’s causing it is the next question: he says their symptoms don’t fit a neurological pattern; they sound more like psychological symptoms. A New Jersey doctor, Rosario Trifiletti, has seen nine of these girls and after his treatment some say they’re getting better. Dr. Trifiletti believes it’s an autoimmune problem, but Dr. Sielgel says there are some holes in his theories because the patients don’t all have the same symptoms.

Media attention has really driven this story and not in a positive way. Dr. Siegel criticized a lot of media coverage that has inflamed this when there should be more hands on doctors like Dr. Trifiletti who are actually helping these patients.

As for the theory that this is caused by environmental factors, Dr. Siegel took a deeper look at the spill 40 years ago that released the chemical TCE and is now being flushed out by recent floods. Dr. Siegel says he doesn’t believe this is the cause because TCE causes Parkinsonian symptoms, which is not what these patients are experiencing.